Congressman hears plan for Glen Haven Village

U.S. Rep. David Young said he’s impressed with the plan to bring the proposed Glen Haven Village skilled nursing care facility to the campus of the Glenwood Resource Center (GRC).

Last week, Iowa’s 3rd District congressman listened to a presentation about the $3.2 million project, given by Larry Raabe, a member of the Glen Haven Home Board of Directors.

Raabe told Young and about 20 other people in attendance that Glen Haven Village will replace the 52-year-old Glen Haven Home at 302 Sixth St. with a modern skilled-care complex built among a cluster of  seven renovated cottages at the GRC. Residents will receive skilled and rehabilitative care in a homelike setting with the facility capable of housing 75-80 residents.

“It will replace an existing facility that is outdated and worn out,” Raabe said.

Raabe noted each Glen Haven Village cottage would accommodate 10-12 residents. There will be one specifically for memory care / Alzheimer’s residents and another unit that can accommodate  residents needing short-term rehabilitation. The cottages will have single-occupancy rooms with private bathrooms.

The “village” or “green” concept will allow residents to receive required care while living in a non-institutionalized setting.

The GRC will provide dietary, laundry, and maintenance services and residents will have access to the campus chapel and hydro-therapy pool.

Glen Haven is a non-profit, community-based care facility. Most of the funding for the Glen Haven  Village project is expected to come from the USDA Rural Development loan program, but the Glen Haven board is also close to wrapping up a $1 million capital campaign.

Former Glen Haven board member Phil Warren, who’s spearheaded the capital campaign, told Young that attorneys and representatives of the state of Iowa and the USDA are in the process of negotiating details of the long-term lease agreement needed to secure the federal loan. Plans call for Glen Haven to lease the cottages from the state.

“We’ve been working on this for a long time, but we’d like to get this closed,” Warren said. “Any help you can give us on this would be appreciated.

“Every day we don’t get started, our costs go up.”

Young said he would be willing to communicate with USDA officials on Glen Haven’s behalf, noting he was pleased to hear the community is going after the federal funds.

“I want any amount of taxpayer dollars that we can get to come back here,” Young said. “It’s important that you’re taking advantage of USDA Rural Development funds.”

As for the capital campaign, Warren said as of late last week, over $950,000 has now been donated or pledged toward the project, including a $500,000 matching gift from the Rod Rhoden Foundation.

Rhoden, a 1962 graduate of Glenwood Community High School, left Glenwood at the age of 18 and later started a successful automobile business. Warren said he’s optimistic the final $50,000 of the capital campaign will be raised by the board’s self-imposed deadline of Dec. 31.

Any person interested in  making a donation or pledge to the project, is asked to contact Raabe, Warren or the Glen Haven Home administration.